Robbins & Judge

Organizational Behavior
13th Edition

Managing
Diversity

Bob Stretch
Southwestern College

1-1

Chapter Learning Out

come
Define workplace diversity and explain why
managing it is so important
Describe the changing workplaces in the United
States and around the world
Explain the different types of diversity found in
workplaces
Discuss the challenges managers face in managing
diversity
Describe various workplace diversity management
initiatives
1-2

What Is Workplace
Diversity?
Workforce Diversity - the ways in which
people in an organization are different
from and similar to one another.

Timeline of the Evolution of Workforce

Diversity

What Is Workplace Diversity?

(cont.)
Surface-level

diversityEasily perceived
differences that may
trigger certain
stereotypes, but do
not necessarily
reflect the ways
people think or feel.

Deep-level diversity Differences in values,

personality, and work
preferences.

Why Is Managing
Workforce Diversity So
Important?
People Management
- diversity is, after all, about

people, both inside and outside the organization.

Organizational Performance - cost savings include
reducing employee turnover, absenteeism, and the
chance of lawsuits
Strategic - workforce diversity is a key to
extracting the best talent performance, market
share, and suppliers from a diverse country and
world.

Benefits of Workforce
Diversity

The Changing Workplace

Characteristics of the U.S. Population
Total population of the United States projected
to increase to 438 million by the year 2050
Racial/ethnic groups - changes in the
percentages of the Hispanic and white
population
Aging population - median age of 36.9 years up
from 36.2 years in 2001

Changing Population Makeup of the

United States

The Changing Workplace (cont.)

Global Workforce Changes
Total world population -estimated at
over almost 7.023 billion
An aging population - aging at an
unprecedented rate

Types of Diversity Found in Workplaces

Types of Workplace
Diversity
Age - Both Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination
in Employment Act of 1967 prohibit age
discrimination.
Gender - Women (49.8%) and men
(50.2%) now each make up almost half
of the workforce.

Types of Workplace Diversity

(cont.)
Race - The biological heritage
(including skin color and associated
traits) that people use to identify
themselves
Ethnicity - Social traits (such as
cultural background or allegiance) that
are shared by a human population

Types of Workplace Diversity

(cont.)
Disability/Abilities - The
Americans With Disabilities Act
of 1990 prohibits discrimination
against persons with disabilities.
Religion - Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act prohibits
discrimination on the basis of
religion.

Types of Workplace Diversity

(cont.)
GLBT: Sexual Orientation and Gender
Identity - U.S. federal law does not
prohibit discrimination against
employees on the basis of sexual
orientation
Other Types of Diversity - diversity
refers to any dissimilarities or
differences that might be present in a
workplace

Challenges in Managing
Diversity
Personal Bias
Bias - a tendency or preference toward a
particular perspective or ideology.

Prejudice - a pre-conceived belief,

opinion, or judgment toward a person
or a group of people

Challenges in Managing Diversity

(cont.)
Stereotyping - judging a person based on
a prejudicial perception of a group to
which that person belongs.
Discrimination - when someone acts out
their prejudicial attitudes toward people
who are the targets of their prejudice.
Glass Ceiling - the invisible barrier that
separates women and minorities from top
management positions.

The Legal Aspect of

Workplace Diversity
Federal laws have contributed to some of
the social change weve seen over the
last 50-plus years
Workplace diversity needs to be more
than understanding and complying with
federal laws.
Organizations that are successful at
managing diversity use additional
diversity initiatives and programs

Major Equal Employment Opportunity

Laws

Major Equal Employment Opportunity

Laws (cont.)

Top Management Commitment to

Diversity
Mentoring - a process whereby an
experienced organizational member (a
mentor) provides advice and guidance to
a less-experienced member (a protg).
Diversity Skills Training - specialized
training to educate employees about the
importance of diversity and to teach them
skills for working in a diverse workplace

Top Management Commitment to

Diversity (cont.)

Employee
Resource Groups
- groups made up
of employees
connected by
some common
dimension of
diversity.

Review :1
Define workplace diversity and explain
why managing it is so important
Workplace diversity is the ways in which
people in an organization are different
from and similar to one another
Its important for three reasons:
1. People management benefits
2. Organizational performance benefits
3. Strategic benefits

Review:2
Describe the changing workplaces in
the United States and around the world.
United States
Total increase population
Changing components of racial/ethnic groups
An aging population

The World
Total world population
Aging of that population

Review :3
Explain the different types of diversity
found in workplaces.
Age (older workers and younger workers)
Gender (male and female)
Race and ethnicity (racial and ethnic
classifications),
Disability/abilities a disability that limits
major life activities),

Review:3
Religion (religious beliefs and religious
practices),
Sexual orientation and gender identity
(gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender
Other (for instance, socioeconomic
background, team members from different
functional areas, physical attractiveness,
obesity, job seniority, and so forth).

Review: 4
Discuss the challenges managers face in
managing diversity
Bias is a tendency or preference toward a
particular perspective or ideology
Prejudice, which is a preconceived belief,
opinion, or judgment toward a person or a
group of people
Glass ceiling refers to the invisible
barrier that separates women and
minorities from top management
positions.

Review:5
Describe various workplace diversity
management initiatives.
Some of the federal laws on diversity
include:
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act,
The Americans with Disabilities Act
Age Discrimination in Employment Act

Workplace diversity initiatives to diversity

include mentoring, diversity skills training;
and employee resource groups